For their first foray into the charity fundraising arena Thursday night, three young pedigreed lionesses — Lauren Clark, Annie Criner and Brittany Sakowitz — roared.
As glamorous ringmasters of the circus-themed benefit for the Hermann Park Conservancy, they generated a twentysomething crowd that numbered close to 300. Okay, there were those nudging into their 30's as the Conservancy's Urban Green group (the party sponsor) is geared toward young professionals. But the vibe was totally young and restless at the park's Kinder Station.
The only real veterans in the crowd were the parents of the chairs — Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, Susie and Sanford Criner and Laura Sweeney, respectively. They didn't lower the median age for long as the parental units were soon off to other diversions.
Entertainment at the outdoor party included a belly dancer, flame thrower, juggler and DJ, all of whom had their moments at center stage before the band cranked up.
Curious style note: A number of the young women kept warm by wrapping up in grandmother's fur stole. A retro fashion fad was born, a nod to the mid-century style of Mad Men.
In the party mix was a cast of singles and couples including Danny Pletcher, Adriana Banks with Kalon McMahon, Mac Helms, Andrew Bean, Kendall Buckalew, Rice Lummis, Matt Born, Megan McGraw and Natalie Klein.